This invention relates to closures for use in flexible containers or pouches that generally contain food products.
Various closures have been used for sealing flexible pouches containing liquids, pastes, gels and similar products. Some closures are designed for single use, meaning that once the closure is opened or removed, the contents are to be fully consumed and the closure is not designed to be placed back on the opening or spout. In the other instance, the closure is designed to re-seal the opening and to preserve the contents remaining in the pouch.
In either instance, the closure presents a potential safety issue. In some prior art devices, when the top or cap is removed, the closure leaves a band around the opening or spout. Children can attempt to remove it with their teeth, or the band can sometimes be easily pulled off. The band may be swallowed or worse, presents a choking hazard. Applicant's invention provides a removable top or cap that, when removed from the spout, leaves no band around the spout.
Another problem with past closures is that if they are designed to re-seal the container, there is often no visual indication the cap was partially or completely removed and then placed back onto the spout. This again presents a safety hazard as one would want to know if the contents are fresh or have been exposed to the atmosphere or, even worse, if the contents of the pouch have been tampered with.
Applicant's invention provides a means by which there is visual indication that the cap has been removed and then placed back onto the spout. There are two visual indicators indicating that the top has been partially or completely removed and replaced. The first indicator is a tab in a window section of the cap that has its mounting filaments or bridges broken when the cap is unscrewed. These filaments or bridges connect the tab to the top portion of the cap. The second indicator is a vertical break or rupture line in the tab that indicates that the tab has been bent to rupturing, indicating that the top of the cap has been unscrewed.